Wikipedia:Main Page history/2018 July 6

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From today's featured article

Peter Jeffrey (6 July 1913 – 6 April 1997) was a senior officer and fighter ace in the Royal Australian Air Force. Posted to the Middle East in July 1940, he saw action with No. 3 Squadron and took command of the unit the following year, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross for his energy and fighting skills. He was appointed wing leader of No. 234 Wing RAF in November 1941, and became an ace the same month with his fifth solo victory. The next month he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his achievements, which included rescuing a fellow pilot who had crash-landed in the desert. In 1942, Jeffrey was posted to the South West Pacific, where he helped organise No. 75 Squadron for the defence of Port Moresby, and No. 76 Squadron prior to the Battle of Milne Bay. He served two stints in charge of No. 2 Operational Training Unit in southern Australia before the end of the war, broken by command of No. 1 (Fighter) Wing in the Northern Territory and Western Australia during 1943–44, at which time he was promoted to temporary group captain. (Full article...)

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Did you know...

Tammy Jo Shults with an F/A-18 Hornet of VAQ-34 squadron

... that Tammie Jo Shults (pictured), captain of Southwest Airlines Flight 1380, was one of the first female tactical fighter pilots in the US Navy?
... that the decision by the Official Charts Company to include streaming in the UK Singles Chart in 2014 led to twenty fewer chart toppers?
... that Britta Stallmeister, the Forest Bird in Bayreuth in 2001, appeared as Germa in a new chamber opera at the Schlachthof Wiesbaden in 2018?
... that the Indian Peace Commission, established by the US Congress in 1867 to negotiate with and civilize Native American tribes, ultimately ushered in a decade of war?
... that Liu Yichang, considered the founder of Hong Kong's modern literature, wrote novels that inspired two award-winning films by Wong Kar-wai?
... that characterization of nanoparticles' size, shape, and agglomeration state is necessary to understand their health and safety hazards?
... that hip hop/metal recording artist Scarlxrd was once a "smiley" YouTube personality?
... that Ninjala is a video game centered on bubblegum-blowing ninjas?

In the news

Tham Luang Nang Non cave entrance

Twelve boys and a man trapped in Thailand’s Tham Luang Nang Non cave (entrance pictured) are found alive after ten days missing, with rescue operations ongoing.
Andrés Manuel López Obrador is elected President of Mexico.
The Japanese sample-return spacecraft Hayabusa2 arrives at the asteroid 162173 Ryugu.
Saudi Arabia lifts its ban on women driving.
Canada legalizes the recreational use of cannabis with effect from October 2018, making it the second country to do so.

On this day

July 6: Independence Day in Malawi (1964); Statehood Day in Lithuania (1253); the Festival of San Fermín begins in Pamplona, Spain

Richard III of England

1483 – The last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty, Richard III (pictured), was crowned King of England.
1801 – French Revolutionary Wars: A Royal Navy squadron attempted to eliminate a smaller French Navy squadron at Algeciras before they could join their Spanish allies.
1940 – The Story Bridge in Brisbane, the longest cantilever bridge in Australia, was opened by Sir Leslie Wilson, Governor of Queensland.
1978 – A sleeping car train at Taunton, England, caught fire, killing 12 people and causing British Rail to install state-of-the art fire prevention measures.
2013 – Gunmen attacked a secondary school in Mamudo, Yobe State, Nigeria, killing at least 42 people, mostly students.

Eino Leino (b. 1878) · Nancy Reagan (b. 1921) · Jagjivan Ram (d. 1986)

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From today's featured list

Twenty episodes of HolbyBlue, a British police procedural drama which was created by Tony Jordan, aired over two series. The show is set in the fictional city of Holby, and focuses on the daily lives of police officers working at Holby South police station. The creation of HolbyBlue was announced on 27 April 2006 by the BBC. It was revealed that the show would have links to British medical drama Holby City. The first series began filming at the end of January 2007, commenced airing on 8 May 2007 at 8 pm, one week later than scheduled for unknown reasons, and concluded on 26 June 2007. On 21 June 2007, it was announced that HolbyBlue would air a second series in 2008, this time for an extended run of twelve episodes. Filming recommenced in late 2007 in Surrey, and the second series began airing on 20 March 2008, concluding on 5 June 2008. On 6 August 2008, the BBC revealed that HolbyBlue would not be recommissioned for a third series, due to a decline in viewership. (Full list...)

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Today's featured picture

The Free Speech Flag is a flag designed by John Marcotte to symbolize personal liberty and promote freedom of speech. The flag and its colors correspond to a cryptographic key that enabled users to copy HD DVDs and Blu-rays. It was created in 2007, during a controversy in which the Motion Picture Association of America and Advanced Access Content System Licensing Administrator began issuing cease and desist letters to websites publishing the key. Works inspired by the flag include an audio version, as well as a flag representing the private key for the PlayStation 3.

Flag: John Marcotte

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